Maternal health in resource-poor urban settings: how does women's autonomy influence the utilization of obstetric care services?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite various international efforts initiated to improve maternal health, more than half a million women worldwide die each year as a result of complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth. This research was guided by the following questions: 1) How does women's autonomy influence the choice of place of delivery in resource-poor urban settings? 2) Does its effect vary by household wealth? and 3) To what extent does women's autonomy mediate the relationship between women's education and use of health facility for delivery?

Methods

The data used is from a maternal health study carried out in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 1,927 women (out of 2,482) who had a pregnancy outcome in 2004-2005 were selected and interviewed. Seventeen variable items on a

SUBMITTER: Fotso JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2706794 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature